


Climbing Mountains

by Lady_Katana4544



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Canon-Typical Violence, Dwarf/Hobbit Relationship(s), M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-19
Updated: 2015-12-19
Packaged: 2018-04-30 06:19:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5153405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Katana4544/pseuds/Lady_Katana4544
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Not quite a pairing that I'm used to writing, but it was an enjoyable exercise to write this one. Hope you enjoy, leaper182. :)</p>
    </blockquote>





	Climbing Mountains

**Author's Note:**

  * For [leaper182](https://archiveofourown.org/users/leaper182/gifts).



> Not quite a pairing that I'm used to writing, but it was an enjoyable exercise to write this one. Hope you enjoy, leaper182. :)

He sits at the side of Bilbo’s sick bed, ignoring for the moment the stench of blood, smoke, and death as he holds the pale still smaller hand between his gloved ones. Silently watching as that small chest slowly rose and then fell.

His eyes catch on the blood in the bandage around the Hobbit’s head and anger fills his sorrowful heart at the mess they all just survived.

“Don’t leave me, Bilbo. Please don’t go. Don’t go where I can’t yet follow you.”

 

0 

 

His first memory of their burglar to be is wide hazel after a green door opens and he falls into a mess of tangled limbs on a stone floor. There’s no time to really acknowledge the longing he feels yet and has felt since he entered the little Shire lands with the others.

There’s food to be had and he really should really beat certain other Dwarves to it, if he wants to have a bite of any of it.

Food and merriment are had despite the temper that the Halfling seems to have since their arrival. And is that a string of meat on Nori’s shoulder, he should try some of that before the other Dwarf eats it. 

Their leader finally arrives and he accidentally makes their little host faint onto his own floor. He grins sheepishly at the admonishing looks that the others level at him.

 

At first the Hobbit doesn’t join them on the morning after and part of him is happy with that since it means someday he can hopefully come back for him. Another part of him sad to be leaving so soon after he’s just found his One.

Their journey won’t leave much time to think of courting anyone; let alone a Hobbit from the kindly West who follows after them.

So for now he must content himself with watching over a small wide eyed Burglar from afar.

 

The encounter with the trolls is unexpected and he starts to really see the Hobbit in a new light. He wonders if their resident Hobbit thinks badly of the Company and by extension him after the incident with the Trolls.

He had after all sent him off with food for the Princelings towards what had at the time been an unknown danger.

 

He has a feeling that everyone is surprised when out of the blue one morning, Bilbo, suddenly starts to ask questions about their culture. Particularly about their hair and the braids that they wear in their hair. Like the tiny hidden courting braid that his brother, Bombur, has hidden away in his beard for when they’re on the road. He sees the openly suspicious look that Thorin aims at Bilbo’s back from where he’s sitting with Fili and Kili, helping the golden haired Princeling tame his braids. 

So before Thorin can open his mouth to snap something vocally harsh at their small companion, he takes it upon himself to tell the Hobbit just the tiniest amount of knowledge about their secretive culture. Only the briefest words about Ori’s braids and his station as a scribe to their King, about his simple mining braids, and a bit about the braids that Fili wore as the King’s heir to the throne, as Crown Prince.

Bilbo, he finds is an attentive listener to anything that any of them will tell him and something warm fills his little heart at that, quickening its beat.

His actions though get him a quiet reprimand later that day by Balin when the older son of Fundin gently leads him away from the rest of the group.

“You didn’t have to do that.”

He shrugs lightly.

“Someone had to answer him. It was better to give him an answer rather than let him endure a tongue lashing from our King for simply asking a question.”

Dark keen eyes give him an assessing stare and he does his best not to flinch under that stare. He’s been in mines with very light that were much darker than those eyes.

“Is that the only reason you did so, Bofur? Not everyone will be pleased that even a little silence was broken to share some of our culture with an outsider.”

He shrugs again and gives an easy smile towards the older frowning Dwarf.

“So as long that remains within the Company, I doubt there would be much trouble. If it spills to ears outside of the Company, then I will happily put a stop to such trouble myself.”

He listens to Balin sigh as he glances back towards the Company. Within his line of sight, he can see his brother trying to soothe Bifur over something he can’t readily see while Bilbo watches attentively as though he wants to try and help if he can. Again something warm fills his chest as he watches their smallest companion.

A light nudge against his shoulder brings his attention to a smiling Balin.

“Rest assured lad. We of the Company won’t let you deal that sort of trouble on your own. We’ll have your back, even our King would watch your back. And you should really do something about that little nest of feelings you have before someone else makes up their mind and approaches him.”

He blinks.

“Not sure I know what you’re insinuating there, Balin.”

Balin snorts and shakes his head still smiling.

“Of course you don’t, lad. But really. Do make up your mind fast.”

 

After that discussion, Balin’s words bring forth questions in his mind. Would Bilbo actually want to have anything more with a simple miner like him? Would the Hobbit accept his courtship if he asked him? Who else was interested in their little burglar?

So he watches Bilbo, wondering in his mind what it would be like to be the one who could make the little burglar laugh and smile.

 

He makes up his mind to ask him a day later.

Of course their journey towards Erebor and the Lonely Mountain is not without its dangers. Doesn’t leave him with very many chances to take the Hobbit aside, especially when they’re either attacked on all sides by orcs or goblins after falling through their “front porch”. 

If you could even call it that.  
He also tries to ignore the stab of jealousy he feels when he witnesses the hug on the Carrock that Thorin gives Bilbo even as the Hobbit’s concerned eyes find him over Thorin’s shoulder.

 

He finds his chance though when the Company is forced to rest and heal. The fourth day into their stay at the skin changer’s home and he finally works up the courage enough to approach Bilbo where he sits next to Ori and asks if they might speak some privately.

“Of course.”

As they walk away from the house and the others, he tries to ignore the loud beating of his heart and feeling eyes burning into his back. There’s silence between them as he gathers his thoughts and watches as Bilbo stops every so often to pluck a few flowers.

“Was there something you wished to discuss, Master Bofur.”

“None of that title business please. You know how I feel about that, Bilbo.”

He tries hard to not wince at the title as well as his own response to it as he smiles slightly and rubs at the back of his neck, looking at everywhere except at the Hobbit.

“Aye, Bilbo. There is something that I wished to discuss with you. I just need to find the right words without offending you in process.”

For a moment Bilbo is silent before he chuckles softly and stops him by taking hold of his other wrist, squeezing it gently.

“Well whatever it is, Bofur, I’ve found that it usually helps to actually look at the fellow you wish to speak with.”

That stops him and finally he allows himself to look at Bilbo, noting how the sun seems to make Bilbo’s hair shine like a unmined gold in a gold mine.

“Ah, well.. I like you as more than just friends, Bilbo Baggins. So I was wondering if you would allow me to court you?”

Bilbo smiles and chuckles softly as he squeezes his wrist lightly.

“I like you too. And I would like that, Bofur.”

Later they take a moment to discuss courting along with the cultural differences between their two peoples. When they return to the group, he’s fairly certain that he spies a few bags of what money that has survived the trip so far change, especially after Nori spots the tiny braid that he managed to put into Bilbo’s hair.

 

 

To say that Thorin goes crazy before their eyes would be an understatement.  
To say that he’s also not concerned and rather worried to find Bilbo sleeping at his side after telling him on the ramparts that he should flee before the battle would make him a great liar.

 

0

 

And now here they are.

Somehow everyone except for some orcs survives the conflict that followed them retaking the Mountain from a great bloody dragon.

He sits at the side of Bilbo’s sick bed, ignoring for the moment the stench of blood, smoke, and death as he holds the pale still smaller hand between his gloved ones. Silently watching as that small chest slowly rose and then fell.

His eyes catch on the blood in the bandage around the Hobbit’s head and anger fills his sorrowful heart at the mess they all just survived.

“Don’t leave me, Bilbo. Please don’t go. Don’t go where I can’t yet follow you.”

After a moment that small hand finally moves and grasps onto one of his fingers and he looks up in time to catch a bleary little smile.

“I wouldn’t worry, Bofur. I won’t be leaving you behind any time soon.”

He laughs softly as he gently squeezes his Hobbit’s hand before putting one hand to Bilbo’s chest and patting it gently.

“Mahal bless your kind little soul, Bilbo.”

There’s still a injured King with two living nephews that needs to be shouted at for his idiocy later.


End file.
